Scott County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Scott County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife, 1866 February 27

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Creator:
Scott County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Scott County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Scott County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Also commonly called Scott County (Va.) Cohabitation Register. This register records the name of the husband, his age, place of birth, residence, occupation, last owner, last owner's residence, name of the wife, her age, place of birth, residence, last owner, last owner's residence, name of children with the ages of each, and the date of commencement of cohabitation.

Biographical / historical:

Scott County was named for Winfield Scott, a native of Virginia, in recognition of his victories during the War of 1812. It was formed from Lee, Russell, and Washington counties in 1814.

The Virginia legislature passed an act on 27 February 1866 to legalize the marriages of former slaves who had been cohabiting as of that date. See Virginia Acts of Assembly, 1866-1867, Chapter 18, An act to amend and re-enact the 14th section of chapter 108 of the Code of Virginia for 1860, in regard to registers of marriage; and to legalize the marriages of colored persons now cohabiting as husband and wife.

The federal Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands directed the Assistant Superintendents of the states to order the county clerks to make a registry of such cohabiting couples. See Circular No. 11, dated 19 March 1866, in Orders, Circulars, Circular Letters, and Letters of Instruction, vol. 2 (1866). Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Virginia, 1865-1869. Miscellaneous reel 3880, Library of Virginia. National Archives microfilm M1048 (reel 41), Record Group 105.

Acquisition information:
This item was loaned for duplication to the Library of Virginia by the circuit court clerk of Scott County. Accession number 50750. Digital images were created by the Library of Virginia's Photographic and Digital Imaging Services. Photolab number 13_1068.
Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
1 digital image.